photo collage of various fruits and vegetables

General Canning Information

Canning fruit-based baby foods

You may prepare any chunk-style or pureed fruit with or without sugar, using the procedure for preparing each fruit as given in Guide 2 (of the USDA Complete Guide to Home Canning). Pack in half-pint, preferably, or pint jars and use the following processing times.

Process time for fruit-based baby foods in a boiling-water canner
		Process Time at Altitudes of
Style of Pack	Jar Size	0 - 1,000 ft	1,001 - 6,000 ft	Above 6,000 ft
Hot	Half-pints Pints	20 min	25	30

Caution: Do not attempt to can pureed vegetables, red meats, or poultry meats, because proper processing times for pureed foods have not been determined for home use. Instead, can and store these foods using the standard processing procedures; puree or blend them at serving time. Heat the blended foods to boiling, simmer for 10 minutes, cool, and serve. Store unused portions in the refrigerator and use within 2 days for best quality.

This document was extracted from the "Complete Guide to Home Canning," Agriculture Information Bulletin No. 539, USDA (Revised 2009).

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